Jarman’s Jottings

with Pauline Jarman

HAPPY New Year everyone. I would like to pay tribute to all of the frontline staff and emergency services staff who delivered services to the public during the holiday period and throughout the year. The recent weather has been very challenging for everyone and I would like to thank the winter gritting crews for their efforts.

I would also like to pay tribute, for a job well done, to all the medical staff, nurses, homecare workers and meals on wheels staff who tended our elderly frail and disabled residents over the Christmas period. I am sure I speak for most people when I say a big thank you to our streetcare, refuse and recycling staff for their efforts as well.

Most households breathed a sigh of relief when they turned up to collect the mountains of waste that we all generated over the Christmas period. Of course that didn’t stop some people from fly-tipping, and that is to be regretted.

Incidents occurred across Cynon Valley in some very prominent locations and there is some evidence to link the individuals responsible. But why do they do it?

One of my main resolutions for 2018 is to promote the need for the early delivery of the Northern Cross Valley Link in Mountain Ash, now that the Southern Link is well advanced.

There is no doubt that delivery of 500 dwellings on the Phurnacite Lands, 400 dwellings on land south of Hirwaun (Tower) as well as 500-600 houses in Robertstown and Abernant as set out in the Local Development Plan as well as some 500 houses and a couple of supermarkets that have already been consented will require major highway works to alleviate the gridlock along the A4059 as you approach Mountain Ash from the north.

I will also be asking for schemes to improve the junctions at Mill Place, Cynon Valley Bowls Hall and Troedyrhiw Road so that right-turning traffic to the north has some priority. You can lose the will to live waiting at these junctions for someone to give way.

That cannot continue.